Summer is in full swing, which means so is the heat.
Here are five Zone-friendly ways to cool down and beat the heat:
- Prepare a decaf coffee before heading to bed,
refrigerate it, and then pour it over ice in the morning.
- Make your own spa water by adding thin slices of
cucumber (leave
the peels on) to a big pitcher of water. Common at spas, the cukes
impart a fresh, cool flavor to the water without adding sugar or other
carbs.
- Make flavored ice cubes by squeezing a splash of
citrus or fruit
juice (to taste) into the water in your ice cube trays. You can also
drop berries into the water in your ice cube trays to flavor your iced
tea.
- Freeze green grapes overnight (or for a minimum of
two hours) and
then have them for a snack on the go — they'll thaw over the course of
a few hours, but will retain a crisp, cool crunch.
- Here's one of the Zone's most popular frozen
desserts. It can also be enjoyed for breakfast:
Zoned Cocoa-Banana Cherry Freeze
Ingredients
1/2 cup Edensoy Original Soy Milk or similar brand, chilled
1 teaspoon unsweetened almond or macadamia nut butter
14 grams unflavored or unsweetened vanilla soy protein powder
1 heaping tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 ripe, medium banana, peeled, sliced, and frozen
3/4 cup frozen, unsweetened cherries
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Optional ingredients
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon stevia extract powder or 2 to 4 drops stevia
extract liquid
1 tablespoon apple-fiber powder
3 to 4 ice cubes
Instructions
1. Pour soy milk into a blender container. Add nut butter, protein
powder, unsweetened cocoa, vanilla, and stevia. Add apple-fiber powder
if desired (for added thickness and blood sugar control). Cover and
blend until smooth. Stop and scrape down the sides with a spatula.
2. With the motor running, add the frozen fruit through
the top
feeder. When blended, add ice cubes one or two at a time, blending on
the ice-crushing setting until you achieve desired thickness. Stop and
start blender, pushing the pulse button repeatedly until ice is
completely crushed and mixture is smooth and thick. Try a spoonful. Add
more stevia if a sweeter taste is desired.
3. Pour into 4 custard cups or dessert dishes and serve
immediately, or 4 to 8 small paper cups, then freeze until firm, about
3 hours. If frozen solid, remove from freezer 10 to 15 minutes before
serving, or as needed to soften to an ice cream texture. Alternatively,
pour into a tall fountain glass to serve one person for breakfast.
MEMBERS GET MORE! You'll find hundreds of healthy
eating tips and ideas on Dr. Sears Zone Diet Advantage. Join
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